HORIZON FLEET AND SAN JOAQUIN IMPRESSIONS On the weekend of 13-15 of January 1990 I went to Bakersfield, California and back from Vancouver U.S.A., Washington. This was part of a larger and yet to be finished All-Aboard America fare. The following are some impressions about the Horizon fleet cars and my trip on the San Joaquin. First, the car numbers. All the car numbers here I have gotten off Amtrak consist listings except 54053 and the Stockton wreck cars which I got from 'Flimsies'. I suspect the 53000 series cars will be gone now that a fifth dinette/lounge [53504] has arrived for service. In conversation with the dinette attendant the dinette/coach cars were used at the start until the arrival of the dinette/lounge cars. Food Service: 1/2 dinette & 1/2 coach (23 coach seats) 753000X 53001 53003 53004 53005 Food Service: 1/2 dinette & 1/2 lounge 653500 53501 53503 53504 53505 78-seat coach with baggage shelves 54044 54045X 54046 54048 54052 54053 54057X 54059 54060 54061 54062 54063X 54064X 54065 54067 54068 54069 54070 54071 73-seat coach (1 handicap) with baggage shelves 54500 54502 54503 54504 54505 54507 54509 54511 Notes: 1. An X by the number indicates car was in Stockton wreck of 19 December 1989. 2. The dinette/coach cars seem to have been used first until the dinette/lounge arrived. Only 53005 seems to still be used. [21 January 1990] Car appearance: The cars are new and clean with carpeted walls and ceilings, adequate windows and seats which will not allow much sleep. The seats recline 2 or 3 inches and there are no leg rests or thigh rests or table on the seat in front of you. There are vestibules between the cars and sliding doors at the vestibule. Due to the boxy squareness of the interior of the cars, they have a roomy feel that the Amfleet San Diegan cars lack. The 2 restrooms have holding tanks and air dryers and or not too small. These are not long distance cars but are adequate for San Joaquin service. The food service cars have 8 tables for the dinette part and 4 tables for the lounge part. There is a handicap seat and restroom and wheelchair space and lock in the lounge section. There is also a regular restroom there. The handicap coach cars have 1 handicap seat and wheelchair lock in that car along with 1 of the restrooms being a handicap restroom. At each of the stations along the way (that I saw) there was a wrought iron enclosure which held a manual wheelchair lift. The #11 Coast Starlight was about 70 minutes late into Martinez and the 708 San Joaquin was held just before the station to let us off first and then picked us up 20 minutes late on its schedule. We proceded down the valley and were into Bakersfield 20 minutes late also. At Bakersfield everybody seemed to get into a bus to go somewhere else. Less than 2 hours later the 709 was heading North. All 6 San Joaquins have tray meal service. The menu is the same for lunch and dinner. I had short beef ribs for $8.00. It was very good and was warmed in a convection oven. We got into Martinez on time: unfortunately the northbound Starlight 14 was about 70 minutes late almost leading to a riot of older women at Martinez. It was a quick trip but interesting to see the new Horizon cars. To the first 3 or so people who would like a California Amtrak TT or the Amtrak San Joaquin Valley service schedule change or both [so indicate], please E-Mail me your address. Copyright 1990 by Robert Franz Quillin